


The Name of the Game

by Victorious56



Series: Vicky's OT4 Story [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Iron Dragon's Charms Week 2020 (RWBY), M/M, OT4 is endgame, Pre-Relationship, lots of men standing in a room talking to each other, yang has a few lines but doesn't really feature
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27916234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Victorious56/pseuds/Victorious56
Summary: Speed dating is not for the faint-hearted, but when you want more from life than a casual liaison, it might be worth a try.
Relationships: Clover Ebi/James Ironwood, Clover Ebi/Taiyang Xiao Long, James Ironwood/Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi/James Ironwood/Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood, Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long
Series: Vicky's OT4 Story [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044159
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	The Name of the Game

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Iron Dragon's Charms Week 2020
> 
> Day 1: Date Night

Tai hesitated on the pavement, looking nervously at the entrance. He remained unconvinced of the wisdom of this idea, but Yang had nagged him until he capitulated.

"Dad, you have to get back out there! I know you're lonely, and of course a person can live alone and be happy... but that person isn't you. There'll be lots of other guys in the same situation, so you won't stick out like a sore thumb. Well, that depends on what you wear, I suppose." She looked at him critically. "No. Cargo. Shorts."

Tai knew when he was beaten. Yang had accompanied him to the shops, and he was wearing a smart—but still unnecessarily long—pair of trousers, and wondering how it was that fathers now had to obey their children.

He walked up the three stone steps and went inside.

  


Two more men approached the venue, from either end of the street. One was looking at his phone and didn't notice in time the tall, bearded individual, until he walked into him. Clover looked up from his phone in embarrassment. "I'm so—" _sorry_ , he'd meant to say, but failed to complete the sentence as he took in the blue eyes of the man looking down at him.

"No, really, don't apologise." The dark-haired man smiled at Clover, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Clover swallowed. _He's actually taller than me._ This put a tick in one box, at least. "After you." Clover gestured towards the open door.

"See you inside." The taller man's voice was smooth, deep, velvety... Clover tried to look intelligent.

"Uh yeah, definitely." He watched the man as he walked up the steps and into the darker interior.

"Are you a queue?"

Clover managed to stop himself from jumping on the spot as the husky voice sounded behind him. He turned, to find the owner of the voice standing on the pavement, a small smirk on his face.

"What? No, I was about to—"

"Go inside? Good news for me, then." The man winked, his red eyes glittering in the streetlights. "Shall we?" He waved his arm towards the door with a flourish, and after a moment of gawping, Clover went in.

There was a small lobby with a folding table, behind which sat a smiling woman. "Registration number, please." Clover fumbled for his phone, holding it out to show her the email with the details on. She checked her iPad and tapped on the screen, before looking up once more. "Do you know how this works?"

"Yes, I read the details on the website." Now Clover was actually here, he felt more nervous than he'd expected to.

"Great! Here's your card and your badge... go on through, there are refreshments laid out, so please help yourself. We'll be starting in about ten minutes." Her eyes slid past Clover to the man behind him, who Clover had mentally named _Husky Red-Eyes_. He thanked her and went on into the larger hall beyond.

  


Tai hovered near the refreshment table. He knew he was a likeable chap... well, that's what he'd been told at various times in his life. But being friendly with work colleagues was quite different to striking up conversations with strangers, over and over again. _Why did I let Yang talk me into this?_ He was on the point of cramming the final mini pizza in his mouth and leaving, when the organiser entered the room and closed the doors behind her.

The muted murmur of voices faded as she rang a small bell. "Okay, everyone, let's get started. Just a quick reminder— you'll have five minutes with each date, then I'll ring the bell. There will be a thirty second gap for you to mark your card, then it's on to the next date.

"Now, because at this event you will each want the chance to talk to all the other participants, we don't have the usual tables. Instead, all the chatting will be done standing up, and it will be for you to seek out who you haven't yet spoken to. Rather like a party game; it should be fun!"

Most of the men in the room eyed each other nervously. Some, presumably old hands at this type of thing, looked more relaxed. Tai brushed the crumbs from his card, and made sure his badge bearing the number 8 was visible. The loud tinkling of a bell sounded, and the event got under way.

The nearest person to Tai was a tall bearded man whose badge proclaimed him as number 11. He glanced at Tai and smiled. "Would you like to start?" His voice was deep and smooth, and although his demeanour was a little stiff, he seemed amiable.

"Sure. Gotta start somewhere," Tai laughed. He moved closer to number 11. "The fact is, I've not done this before. Have you?"

"I did try once, some while ago, but it was not successful. However, my cousin persuaded me it might be worth another attempt."

They continued talking for a few more minutes. Tai felt much more relaxed and he got number 11 to laugh, so he guessed he was doing okay. The bell sounded, and the taller man thanked him and moved away. They both marked their cards, and the next round began.

  


Clover did not warm to his first date, and sadly marked a cross against number 5. He glanced about to find another man to speak to, but before he could move, Husky Red-Eyes appeared at his side. _Or number 3, it would seem_. He smiled at Clover. "You ready to do this, then?"

"Uh, yeah. That is why we're here, right?"

"Absolutely. I can't think of a better way to spend an evening." Number 3 grinned, drawing a smile from Clover.

"You don't sound as though you're optimistic of a good outcome."

"I'll keep an open mind, but honestly, what are the chances of meeting a guy you really like?" Number 3 raised an eyebrow at Clover.

"Quite good, from what I've read. Maybe you've met one already?" Clover smiled at him. The other man's voice was deep, with a raspy edge to it, and his smile was... _alluring_ , thought Clover.

The few minutes went by quickly, and Number 3 gave Clover a warm smile as he moved away.

Clover put an emphatic tick on his card.

  


After three further less auspicious dates, Clover was starting to get disheartened. _Although, how many potential matches did I expect?_ He wondered whether he was setting his bar too high, when the bell rang once more. He tucked his card and pencil away, casting about for someone he hadn't yet spoken to.

"Here we are again." A smooth voice behind him sent a shiver along Clover's spine. _This has to be Tall and Bearded._ Clover turned round, looking up into blue eyes. Eyes which could have been cold, yet... weren't.

"Uh, hi, Number 11." Clover chuckled. "I can't quite get my head round the idea of calling people by their numbers."

"I know, it's very odd. Although if any of us meet again, I'm sure we can dispense with the formalities." Tall and Bearded had a precise way of speaking which was a little formal, but there was a twinkle in his blue eyes which told Clover he probably wasn't quite as buttoned-up as he might seem.

After a few more minutes of conversation the bell sounded, and the two men parted. Clover glanced at the other man, a small smile crossing his face as he saw the tick which Number 11 marked on his card.

  


There was a short break for refreshments, and the second half of the evening commenced. Tai almost thought about leaving, but knew he couldn't give up. It would throw out the numbers and anyway, he'd never hear the last of it from Yang. He sighed, studying his card as the bell rang once more. He only had one tick so far, and that had been the very first person he spoke to.

"You look like you're having a great time." The gruff voice beside him made Tai jump.

"Uh sorry, I wasn't expecting—"

"Not expecting a man to come and talk to you? How did you think the evening would go?" The man's words might have seemed almost unkind, but his smile was teasing, and Tai relaxed.

"Haha, very funny. I think you know what I mean. Sidling up to someone out of nowhere, what did you expect?"

"I know, I'm very sorry. How can I make it up to you?" Number 3 gazed innocently into Tai's wide-eyed face, the hint of a smile curving his lips.

"Give me a while, I'm sure I'll think of something." Tai held his gaze, watching the red-eyed man's smile widen.

"Looks like we're on the same page, then."

  


Clover tried to pay attention to what his current date was saying, but was finding it difficult. Husky Red-Eyes was almost within earshot, talking to a stocky, blond guy Clover hadn't spoken to yet. He could hear their low laughter and muted words, and knew they'd be ticking each other's numbers when the bell rang. _Damn, I doubt I'll have a chance with him, then._ He tried to ignore their conversation and attend to the man who was speaking to him, just as the bell rang. The other man moved away quickly, and Clover breathed out in relief. This evening was proving unexpectedly exhausting.

As the bell indicated the start of the next date, Clover glanced at the man Number 3 had been having such fun with. "I don't think we've spoken yet?"

Tai smiled. "I'd have remembered if we had." He raised a hand to his mouth. "Sorry, was that a bit much? All this talking to so many people is making me reckless."

Clover laughed. "You and me both. I've not done one of these before... it's quite hard work in a way. With some people, anyway." He smiled at _Blue-Eyed Blondie_ , which he preferred to _Number 8_.

"To be honest," the other man said in a conspiratorial tone, "I only came because my daughter nagged me to. At least now I can tell her I've done it. Although..." He looked up into Clover's face, "it's turned out better than I thought it would. Well, I hope so anyway."

Clover regarded the man's friendly face, and smiled slowly. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

After a short while the bell rang again. "Nice chatting with you, Number 7," said Tai. As he moved away to place a tick against Clover's number, he decided Yang might have had the right idea after all.

  


The evening wound down as the bell was rung for the last time. The room breathed a collective sigh, and the speed daters looked at each other. Several smiles were exchanged, and as Clover took a handful of crisps from a bowl he decided, all in all, it hadn't been too bad.

"Right then." The organiser's raised voice broke into his thoughts. "Please make sure your cards are all marked as you wish, and hand them to me on the way out. We will match up the numbers and be sending out contact details by the end of tomorrow.

"I hope you all had a pleasant evening. Thank you for coming, and I hope to hear some happy dating stories from you in the future." She smiled, holding out her hand as the attendees filed from the room.

Clover double-checked his card, satisfied he'd ticked the right numbers, before passing it over as he left.

The men spilled out onto the street. A couple of pairs formed amongst the small group, and these left quickly. Clover was pleased to see his selections were not among them.

After several hesitant farewells, they dispersed in several directions. Clover noted that Husky Red-Eyes and Blue-Eyed Blondie went in the same direction, but not together. He set off in the opposite direction, spotting Tall and Bearded some way ahead. The man was alone, and Clover smiled to himself.

Surely out of the three men he'd felt drawn to, there'd be one who would return his interest?

He hoped so.

**Author's Note:**

> Friendly comments always appreciated, thank you.


End file.
